Jessa Duggar Reveals She Was Pregnant With Baby No. 5 After Miscarriage in Emotional Video

Jessa Seewald (née Duggar) revealed in a heart-wrenching February 2023 YouTube video that she suffered a miscarriage at the end of 2022. 

“At that moment, I was just in complete shock. I didn’t even have words,” Jessa explained in the clip at the time, referring to the moment when she found out she had lost the baby. “I just immediately started crying. … Ben was there, and he put his arms around me.” 

This was the first time that Jessa had publicly responded to fan speculation that she was pregnant, since she previously denied the rumors. In August 2022, she shot down pregnancy rumors after sharing an Instagram photo, alongside husband Ben Seewald where the pair were lovingly embracing as she wore a loose-fitting dress. It caused one fan to ask in the comments, “u expecting again?” to which Jessa replied, “No.”

Two fans called the original question “rude” to ask of the Counting On alum, while one follower was confused by the adoring photo, writing, “I thought this was a birth announcement.”

While the photo appeared professional and did look like it could have been used to announce a major life event, instead, Jessa used it to discuss her partnership with Christian Healthcare Ministries, which she said she’s used for “midwives to doctors, prenatal care, births of our children, and various other medical procedures and emergencies.”

Jessa and Ben became parents for the fourth time in July 2021 with the birth of their daughter Fern. The couple already have two sons, Spurgeon and Henry, as well as daughter Ivy Jane. 

In 2021, the couple made a big move to accommodate their family by purchasing a fixer upper home. The pair shared a YouTube video tour on January 11, 2022, documenting their initial steps in renovating their new three-bedroom house.

Taken in June 2021 shortly before Jessa gave birth to Fern, she explained, “The structure’s great and it’s got good bones,” then told fans, “We are dumping a decent amount of our savings into this. But we feel it will suit our needs for years to come. So, for that, it’s worth it.”

“[The bedrooms] don’t really need a ton of work. We’re going to take down [the ceiling tile] and sheet rock that and do some recessed lighting,” Jessa said in the video, adding that she and Ben planned to gut the existing bathroom completely, add more lighting throughout the home and keep the original hardwood floors. They also decided to turn the home’s garage into a master bedroom.

“Once we get this all closed in, it will be about 2,000 square feet, which will be almost double what we have now and this will be a huge blessing,” Jessa explained, adding, “Lots of great living space for our family,” which as of now, only stands at six with no new baby on the way.